About
Fascinating mythological story of Diana and Actaeon can be found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Very important provenance from a royal collection. Fabulous finely carved gilt wood coeval frame .
Giovanni Battista Viola (June 16, 1576 – August 10, 1622) was an Italian painter of the early Baroque period in Rome.
The story became very popular in the Renaissance.
The tale recounts the unfortunate fate of a young hunter named Actaeon, who was a grandson of Cadmus, and his encounter with chaste Artemis, known to the Romans as Diana, goddess of the hunt. The latter is nude and enjoying a bath in a spring with help from her escort of nymphs when the mortal man unwittingly stumbles upon the scene. The nymphs scream in surprise and attempt to cover Diana, who, in a fit of embarrassed fury, splashes water upon Actaeon. He is transformed into a deer with a dappled hide and long antlers, robbed of his ability to speak, and thereafter promptly flees in fear. It is not long, however, before his own hounds track him down and kill him, failing to recognize their master.
Continue Reading
Details
Creator
Giovanni Battista Viola (1576 – 1622, Italian)
Creation Year
circa 1610
Dimensions
Height: 51.19 in. (130 cm)
Width: 59.06 in. (150 cm)
Depth: 3.94 in. (10 cm)
Medium
Oil
Movement & Style
Baroque
Period
17th Century
Condition
Excellent
Gallery Location
Rome, IT